It’s a star-spangled special as Marie Lively and James Kirkland celebrate Independence Day with three all-American microdramas featuring military secrets, runaway brides, and shirtless cowboys who heal trauma one rope swing at a time.

1. Double Life of My Military Man Rebecca (the queen of vertical dramas) goes undercover to seduce a soldier—but ends up catching feelings. Is it love, or just mission creep? Marie loves the honeypot vibes; James wants clarification on whether this counts as treason.

2. The Billionaire Cowboy Runaway Bride What happens when a bride ditches her wedding and flees to cowboy country? Hot ranch hands, emotional backstories, and a lot of buttoned-down shirts being unbuttoned. Marie’s all in. James compares it to Yellowstone but hotter and dumber—in a good way.

3. Saved by the Sexy Cowboy A woman recovering from trauma is sent to a ranch where the therapy is 90% hay bale and 10% abs. James is baffled by the immediate horseback trust-building. Marie is spiritually moved by a rope swing kiss.

These dramas may be short, but the feelings are huge, the shirts are optional, and America is very much in the background somewhere. Saddle up, microdrama lovers—this episode is red, white, and ridiculously hot.

In celebration of Pride Month, hosts Marie Lively and James Kirkland explore the wild, romantic, and often unhinged world of boy love microdramas. From closeted pilots to conflicted lawyers, this episode features three juicy stories full of secret hookups, confused identities, and deep yearning—all before the paywall.

1. My Mafia Pilot Boyfriend Flight attendant Tony Baker is just trying to survive his job when he matches with dreamy pilot Ryan Rossi, whose Grindr name is Cockpit Confidential. But their steamy connection comes with turbulence—Ryan might be smuggling drugs, or worse, in the mob. There’s a DEA-agent sister, some suspicious room service, and plenty of abs.

2. My Rookie Secret Agent Lover A fresh CIA recruit is assigned to spy on a suspect—only to fall for him instead. As the tension rises, so do the stakes: rooftop confrontations, whispered betrayals, and one very emotional rain scene. Marie’s obsessed with the aesthetic. James questions the agency’s HR policies.

3. Objection I’m Not Gay! When a hotshot young lawyer is paired with a closeted senior partner on a high-profile case, sparks (and objections) fly. One loves rules, the other loves rebellion—and both are very confused about their feelings. It’s office tension with a gavel and a kiss.

Whether you're here for the longing looks, the ridiculous plot twists, or the slowest of slow burns, this episode delivers all the gay microdrama goodness you can handle—in vertical format, of course.

Micro Drama Doses is the hilarious, heartfelt podcast where vertical romance addict Marie Lively schools her longtime friend and microdrama newbie James Kirkland in the wild world of bite-sized, phone-friendly love stories. In this inaugural episode, Marie introduces James to the genre’s most addictive tropes—secret babies, evil moms, brooding billionaires, and surprise werewolves—with deep dives into three juicy titles:

Breaking the Ice — A high school romance goes full-blown soap opera as hockey star Easton Black and small-town girl Caro navigate teen pregnancy, controlling mothers, and missed connections. Years later, he's a pro athlete and she's raising their secret daughter—until fate (and a suspicious mole) reunites them.

The Dragon Slayer is My Ex-Lover — A medieval twist on the same doomed love story. In a past life, Easton and Caro are star-crossed lovers once again—only this time, he’s off to slay dragons while she scrubs chamber pots and hides her pregnancy. It’s swords, secrets, and steamy tension across time.

Accidental Surrogate for the Alpha — In a genre-bending leap into werewolf territory, Ella is tricked into carrying the heir of billionaire Alpha Dominic Moon. She’s terrified of werewolves—and of falling for one. Full of fated mates, fertility contracts, and fierce alpha growls, this one howls with melodrama.

With witty banter, tangents about pee sticks and Gwyneth Paltrow, and a surprisingly sincere love for outrageous storytelling, Marie and James kick off the podcast with humor, heart, and zero shame. Whether you're a microdrama veteran or a curious first-timer, this dose is your gateway drug.